Painted People, Myanmar

Body decoration has a long history in Myanmar and a unique place in the cultural identity of the Burmese. According to a local saying, “Getting married, building a pagoda and getting a tattoo are the three undertakings that can only be altered afterwards with great difficulty.” Tattoos often commemorate key points in a person’s life, from reaching manhood, to becoming a Buddhist monk, or even to mark spells in prison. The Shan people were historically the greatest tattooists, with tattoos having magical or spiritual meaning beyond mere decoration. A young man would typically be tattooed from the knees to the waist, like a pair of shorts, as a symbol of his virility.

With the introduction of Buddhism, the symbolic nature of tattoos became increasingly interwoven with the religious aspect. Today, the power of the tattoo lies not only in its symbolism, but also in the spiritual power of the tattooist, who are commonly specialist monks known as Sayas. The tattoos may have individual functions, but are also generally considered a talisman, providing protection from enemies or misfortune. More directly, the Chin tribe have tattooed the faces of their women for 200 years, a disfigurement believed to discourage their kidnap as slaves. This practise has been outlawed by the Government since the 1950s, and only very few such tattooed women remain.

However, the most common form of decoration is Myanmar is certainly thanaka. This pale yellow paste made from local trees has been applied to the faces of women, and less frequently men and boys for over 2000 years . Serving as a sunscreen, anti-fungal, cooling agent and cosmetic the thanaka is often applied in elaborate patterns.